Ireland.
During her active years, the world-class racer Rampage had formed deep ties with this country during her European campaigns. Now, the Japanese team she once called home found themselves under the care of the very same Irish royalty.
Initially, the European expedition team, led by Trainer Minamisaka, hadn't planned on stopping in Ireland. However, they had received an incredibly persistent "push" from the royal family, who insisted the team use their facilities to ensure they were in peak condition. While the staff was initially taken aback by the overwhelming hospitality, they quickly realized it was a testament to the profound bonds Rampage had forged years ago.
"The Irish Royal Family welcomes you all—as Rampage's be-e-esties!"
The young Princess of Ireland had greeted them with a radiant smile and perfect Japanese. It was that single, heartfelt greeting that solidified their decision to make Ireland their base of operations.
"Great work. Let's take a break there," Minamisaka called out.
"Yes, sir," Sakura Laurel replied. After her victory in the Prix Niel, she had earned her shot at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, and she was currently pouring every ounce of effort into her training to meet that challenge.
Beside her stood Flora, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Though she officially belonged to Team Rigil, Trainer Tojo—whose position made it harder to leave Japan than Minamisaka—had granted her permission to join this expedition. Flora pulled off her training mask, hungrily gulping down the crisp Irish air.
"That's… brutal…" she wheezed. "Does Canopus really do this kind of training on a daily basis?"
"No," Minamisaka replied calmly. "Not usually."
"I thought so. You only ramp it up like this for overseas trips—"
"The only ones who did this regularly," Minamisaka interrupted with a thin smile, "were Rampage and Ikuno Dictus. Occasionally Nice Nature, Twin Turbo, Machikane Tannhäuser, and Rice Shower would join in."
"That's basically the whole team!" Flora cried out.
This was Flora's first real taste of the "Canopus Style" curriculum. While it emphasized the fundamentals, the workload had been meticulously optimized for her specific limits. It began with the "Shinzan Irons"—legendary heavy horseshoes—and had progressed to high-intensity, low-oxygen training with the mask she had just removed.
"Rampage used to sprint up steep inclines while wearing that mask," Minamisaka noted.
"I wonder sometimes…" Flora muttered. "What was she? I heard she didn't just train in shoes several times heavier than mine—she wore them in actual races and still blew the field away. Seriously, what is she? And what kind of place is Canopus for producing a monster like that?"
"Heh… I'll leave that to your imagination."
Minamisaka chuckled, shielding his mouth with his hand. To Flora, the gesture looked uncharacteristically ominous. Even though she had begun to build a solid rapport with him as a temporary trainee, the man remained an enigma. To her, he and his methods felt like a bottomless well—a shadow cast by a limitless monster.
"Trainer! Fine and I made some snacks!"
"Bestie's Trainer! If you're on a break, come eat with us!"
"Oh? Well, this is a treat," Minamisaka said, his dark aura vanishing instantly.
Twin Turbo arrived, trailing Fine Motion behind her. Turbo was currently in a recovery period after running the Irish Champion Stakes, but she had apparently spent her downtime making treats with Fine. They had prepared a pound cake studded with dried fruit. Deciding it was the perfect fuel for a break, the whole group gathered to eat.
"Still…" Flora said, sipping a cup of strong black tea. "I knew Rampage stayed in Ireland during her campaigns, but I never realized she was this close with the Royal Family."
Being abroad made Flora realize the sheer scale of the girl named Rampage. Whenever locals realized she was a Japanese horse girl, they would immediately go on guard—"Is she related to that Tyrant?"—ready to mark her for a breakaway. When they realized she wasn't Rampage, some would look down on her with disdain, though she had taken great pleasure in blowing past those skeptics on the track.
"Senpai was an unstoppable force through Dubai and Europe," Laurel added. "I even saw merchandise over here featuring photos of her and Princess Fine together."
"Just 'Fine' is okay!" the Princess chirped. "Any teammate of my Bestie is a friend of mine!"
"And Turbo is Fine's bestie too!" Turbo added proudly.
"That's right! Fine has officially become Turbo-san's soul sister!"
"You've certainly made some wonderful friends," Minamisaka said with a gentle smile.
""Yeah!"" the two shouted in unison.
Watching them, Flora thought it would have been a perfectly charming scene—if one of them wasn't the literal Princess of the realm. It hit her then just how far she had come. Her entire racing career had been spent chasing Rampage's shadow; now, she was standing in a foreign land with the legend's own teammates, preparing to challenge the greatest race in the world.
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